紅豆薏米蓮子糖水 Red Beans with Coix Seeds and Lotus Seeds Sweet Soup

我們住在英國的人向來都習慣了抱怨太陽的出現不夠。每到夏天或暑假期間，大多數人都喜歡往保證有陽光海灘可以享受的隣近歐陸國家如西班牙、希臘、葡葡牙 ... 等地渡假。

For those of us who live in the UK, we all used to complain about not having enough sunshine. Therefore every summer or during holiday times, a lot of people like to travel to nearby countries like Spain, Greece, Portugal ... where there is plenty of sun, sand and sea to offer.

今年天氣卻一反常態。踏入七月之後，炎炎烈日不但大駕光臨；還停留了下來，毫無去意。

However the weather has made a dramatic change this year. Since July, everyday has been so sunny, the forecaster said this hot weather is likely to last until the end of the month.

到了今天，倫敦和東南部的英格蘭地區温度已高至 32C。氣象局已發出了熱浪第三級的警戒，還有一級便會達至危險程度的第四級。

Today the temperature in London and the south-eastern England has reached 32C. The Met Office has issued a heatwave alert of level 3 for those areas, only a level away from the emergency status.

因為連續五天氣温都超過了 30 C，健康當局已通知了各有關部門和社會工作人員作好緊急準備和措施，要特別注意年老、年幼和有慢性疾病的人們。

The Health department has also issued warnings to social and health workers to focus on the very young, the very old and those with chronic diseases as temperatures rose past 30 C for a fifth consecutive day.

在這烈日酷暑的炎夏中，大家都需要特別注意身心和起居飲食。主婦們總想為家人弄些消暑散熱的清湯糖水；紅豆薏米糖水是其中一款我愛煲的。

In such an extremely hot summer weather, we all need to take extra care of ourselves and those around us; making sure everybody knows how to stay cool, eating and drinking properly. Red beans with coix seeds and lotus seeds sweet soup is one of those cooling sweet soups that I love cooking for my family.

我們全家都愛吃紅豆沙，加了清熱去濕的薏米和蓮子；煲成的糖水，既美味又有益。

We all love red beans soup so much. With the added coix seeds and lotus seeds, they help to provide lots of health benefits as well as taste sweet and delicious.

紅豆薏米蓮子糖水
( 4 人份)

材料：

• 紅豆 400g
• 生薏米 50 g 
• 熟薏米 100g
• 蓮子 100 g
• 陳皮( 果皮 ) 2 片浸軟刮去白色內皮
• 冰糖 200 g

做法：

1. 蓮子、熟薏米洗淨，瀝乾備用。
2. 紅豆、生薏米洗淨，放進煲內用 10 飯碗沸水蓋著浸 2 小時，或至用手指按揑時豆會扁爛。( 水不要倒掉 )
3. 把蓮子、熟薏米和陳皮( 果皮 ) 加進紅豆和生薏米與煲內的水，上蓋。用大火滾開後轉小火，煲 2 - 3 小時至紅豆軟稔。下糖煮溶拌勻便成。

待涼後的紅豆薏米蓮子糖水置冰箱內冷放。吃時淋些淡奶或加球雪糕，頓時感到清心涼快！

Keep the Sweet soup in the fridge after it has cooled down. Served it cold either with some evaporated milk or a scoop of ice-cream, you'll be instantly feeling a lot cooler.

後記：

有讀者和網友分別詢問：『甚麼是熟薏米？為甚麼要用熟薏米呢？請問在那裏可以買到？』

熟薏米在任何中藥房或唐人超市都可以買到的。薏米，名薏仁、薏茨仁，性微寒；味甘淡。藥商製葯時將部份薏米製成熟薏仁，以迎合宜温熱者選用。薏米有清熱去濕的功效。  

相信在香港長大的朋友們不會忘記，小時候媽媽會為我們常煲的燈蕊花、生熟薏米水。生熟薏米的分別在於生和熟；生較寒，熟不寒。廣東人通常用生熟薏米各一半，平均不寒不熱地來使用的。

生薏米較難煮熟，在煮之前需以温水浸泡 2 - 3 小時，才較容易煲稔。